Shyam Nandwani

Professor Shyam Nandwani is a major researcher in the solar cooking field and Director of the Laboratorio de Energia Solar at the Universidad Nacional in Costa Rica.

Letter regarding the "Energy Globe Award."

As planned I got the certificate as National Winner (Energy Globe Award) on Monday, April 13. Ufortunately I could not get the World Prize, firstly because some have to lose so that other could win ..., secondly after analysing the other winners (one in each category, Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Youth) I could see that the objective of the prize was to encourage the social projects, means the implementation of the device (in some rural area. It was more important than the research.

I am attaching some photgraphs. Although I have done lot of dissemination work, and in last thirty years, trained many persons (at least in 10 countries) to make Solar Cookers (mainly) and other solar devices, however at the time of application form, did not stress concrete numbers of cookers made directly under my instructions. The five winners (out of 110) did that.

Shyam S. Nandwani recieving the "Energy Globe Award"

Maybe I will try again after two years, taking the award objective into consideration.

Once again I am thankful to Solar Cookers International (beng ex Board Member during 1990- 1997), Fraunhoffer Solar Energy Institue, (Sabattical during March- Aug.1996), IITAP (Sabbatical during Sept. 1996- Feb. 1997), RICSA (Member, during 1998- 2002) and ICTP (attending many courses on Solar Energy since 1977 and Associate Member during 1986- 2007) for getting the training and exchanging information with other research workers.

On the other hand I am pleased to inform that recently there was a competetion among university researchers to buy some equipments. Money was limited and there were many applicants. Recently I am informed that I got US$25,000 to buy new equipments for my laboratory. This will really be great help in the quality and ease of data measurements.

With best regards

Shyam S. Nandwani

Prof. Universidad Nacional

UNA, Heredia

Latest update for Shyam Nandwani, January 2010

Last year he was interviewed at BBC London studios(Latin Setion) about solar cookers, which was followed by a report on their website in February 2009. He was also interviewed on the radio in Venezuela, and on Taiwan television talking about the benefits of solar cooking. A high-point for Shyam came in April 2009, when he received the Energy Globe Award at a ceremony in Prague, Czech Republic on national TV.

Documents

School lunches are warmed in solar ovens at schools in Costa Rica.

November 2012: Solar Ovens used to warm lunches at educational centers - Due to electric rationing imposed by local Costarican Electricity utility company in January 1979, Shyam Nandwani made the first solar oven for his family in Feb. 1979, to warm the lunch cooked previous night. Shyam has observed the rising demand of our solar ovens at educational institutes to warm the lunch for the students at schools and colleges etc. According to school directors, the reason is to reduce the queue for using microwave ovens as well to reduce the electric bill for the institute and promote environmental culture for the students as well as also for the parents. Read the article - Shyam Nandwani